Choose A Dentist Who Can Help You With Adolescent Oral Health Issues

Teenagers or adolescents have many age-specific oral health concerns. While this is the most important time to establish a lifetime of oral health, adolescents are the most unlikely to take care of their teeth. That's why you need to find a pediatric dentist or find a family dentist who will help you win the oral health battle with your children.

Oral Hygiene:Teach your adolescent to floss and brush every day. This is one skill that will save you money in dental care now while building a solid foundation to give them healthy adult teeth.

Diet:Adolescents have bad eating habits which can harm their teeth. Teens today are drinking too much soda and it is causing serious damage. Ask your dentist to help steer your child toward healthier options.

Sports:Sports are a great way to keep a young body healthy but many teens neglect to wear mouth guards. If your child engages in contact sports, ask your dentist to recommend a mouth guard that will absorb energy and prevent damage to your teen's teeth.

Smoking:Despite numerous warnings many adolescents start smoking, which can stain and damage their still-growing teeth and set them up for a lifetime of addiction. In addition to bad breath and yellow teeth, many teens still don't make the connection that smoking can also lead to oral cancer. Find a dentist who will educate your children on the life-threatening dangers of this addictive habit.

Eating Disorders:Some teens engage in negative eating behaviors such as binging, purging or starving themselves. All of these behaviors can severely damage your child's teeth and mouth. Find a dentist who will look for signs of an eating disorder and advise you of steps you can take to help your child deal with this issue.

Adolescence is when major changes take place in your child's mouth. Permanent teeth or wisdom teeth may not come in properly and you may need to find an oral surgeon to remove them. This is often the time when you may need to find an orthodontist to install braces that will align your child's teeth and provide a winning smile.

ChooseYourDentist.com is your go-to source for dental information and dental education. If you have adolescents in your family, use our dental profiles to help find a family dentist or find an orthodontist who can help because ChooseYourDentist.com is "where patients and dentists meet."